It is very important for you to understand this issue in order not to harm your chances of obtaining a visa. Based on information received from various consular officers, we have the following recommendations for you to keep in mind when you are preparing for your visa interview.

• Answer every question truthfully, even if you think an honest answer may jeopardize your chances of obtaining a visa. Any indication that you are not being truthful will result in a visa denial.
• Listen carefully to what the consular officer asks you and then answer the question directly. Do not respond with a prepared speech. If you do not understand the question, ask the consular officer to repeat or explain it.
• F and J visas are nonimmigrant visas. However, United States law assumes that anyone who enters the U.S. on one of these visas intends to emigrate to the United States permanently.  The law requires you, the applicant, to provide evidence that you plan to return home after you complete your academic program. Of course, there is no way to prove you will return, but the consular officer is looking for indications that you are likely to return. Although they know that many people on F and J visas emigrate to the United States, they are looking for your "current intent" not what might happen in the distant future.
• The best evidence of intent to return is "strong ties" to your country, which include family you leave behind, a job that you plan to return to after completing your academic program, a business of your own, property or other assets at home. If you had a brother or sister who came before you as a student and returned, this can be used as evidence of your likelihood to return.
• Some factors that might work against you in the mind of the consular officer are: someone in the U.S. is promising to support you, poor English language ability or a poor academic record suggesting you are not a serious student, lack of family ties, and poor job prospects upon return.
• Two factors that are not in your direct control are the level of economic development of your home country and your personal economic status.  Although it may seem like discrimination against poorer people, the reality is that people from less developed countries and those with poor economic prospects are more likely to want to stay in the United States. That is why it may be more difficult for someone in poor economic circumstances to obtain an F or J visa.  All you can do is present the strongest case possible, emphasizing those factors that will convince the consular officer of your intent to return.
• Remember, you will only have 1-2 minutes to convince the consular official that you deserve to receive your visa. While you should not have a prepared speech, you should anticipate the questions that are likely to be asked and know what you plan to say in response to those questions.
• If you are denied a visa, you will be informed of the reason for the denial and be given the opportunity to re-appear if you can provide additional evidence to support your case. Before you re-apply, be sure you understand the grounds for your denial so that you can appeal effectively. Please inform the Office of Global Education at: isa@csusm.edu if your visa application is denied.